


Bound by a Lie

by IronStrangeLover (sherlockian4evr)



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Abduction, Anal Sex, Established Relationship, Established Tony Stark/Stephen Strange, Eventual Happy Ending, Healing, IronStrange, M/M, Mental Enslavement, Mind Control, Obsession, Obsessive Behavior, Obsessive Mordo, Possessive Behavior, Possessive Mordo, Protective Tony Stark, Protective Wong, Rape, Rape not by Tony, Rape/Non-con Elements, Rescue, Rescue Missions, Riding, Sex Magic, Whump, stephen whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-29
Updated: 2020-01-10
Packaged: 2021-01-08 05:07:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21230291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sherlockian4evr/pseuds/IronStrangeLover
Summary: Stephen Strange returns from a mission physically and magically drained, leaving him vulnerable to Mordo's attack. He is taken prisoner in more ways than one.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is going to be a rough ride. It may not be for everyone. It is going to get dark before we reach the light at the end. Just an FYI.
> 
> Beta read by [Sherlock1110](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Sherlock1110/pseuds/Sherlock1110).
> 
> I'm taking fic requests. If you have something you would like me to write, drop me a note at sherlockian4evr@gmail.com.

Stephen was ambushed by Mordo and several of his disciples. Still, he was strong enough and learned enough in the mystical arts that he should have been able to defeat them easily. But he had just returned from a difficult and draining mission, weakened and exhausted.

As it was, a battle ensued. Both physical and magical blows were exchanged. Strange fought with all that he had until he was forced to pull on the last of his reserves. The moment that happened, Mordo sent a stunning blast of magic his way that sent him into the arms of two of his disciples.

The disciples held Stephen in place while Mordo ripped the sling ring off his fingers. White hot pain shot through Stephen's hand and up his arm, causing him to cry out in pain. He fell backwards through a portal knocked off his feet by a blow to his chest from Mordo. The last thing he saw was the portal closing in front of him and the Cloak dashing towards him. It didn’t make it and Stephen fell to the ground, alone, the stone walls of a prison surrounding him.

He lay there, too tired and weak to move, his body aching and his hands throbbing. The only light source was a glowing mandala that floated near the ceiling in the center of his prison. He stared at it, unseeing, until he finally passed out from both physical and magical exhaustion.

When Strange came to, he struggled to his knees. It took him several ling moments to steady himself enough to get to his feet. Once he managed that, he staggered to the nearest wall and leaned against it. He could see from where he stood that there were no windows or doors to his prison. It had been carved out of stone by magic. The only thing keeping him from suffocating was a fresh influx of air from the glowing mandala overhead.

There was a low bed in the corner and a table upon which rested a bottle of water. Stephen made his shaky way to the bed and dropped onto it. He was still so exhausted that simply breathing was a chore. With nothing else to do, he closed his eyes and rested, hoping to regain some strength before Mordo and his disciples returned. Unfortunately, his prison seemed designed to block the natural flow of magic and his reserves filled at a trickle.

Strange drifted off. When he woke the next day, he was still alone. His sprains and bruises ached fiercely as did his hands. His throat was dry and he could barely swallow. Sitting up, he reached for the bottle of water, but dropped it because his hands were trembling so badly. He swore, then bent to retrieve the bottle. Sitting back up, he opened it by the hardest, then drank it down thirstily.

The entire situation weighed on him. He knew Mordo's plans for him were anything but benevolent. He expected death. He just hoped it came without prolonged torture beforehand. He sighed and stood. It was time to get intimately familiar with his prison now that he was physically rested.

Rising to his feet, Stephen inspected every inch of his prison. It was just as he had feared, there was no escape, not without his sling ring and not without quite some time to charge his reserves. He had little hope of rescue. Neither Tony nor Wong would suspect anything was wrong yet. He wasn’t due back at the New York Sanctum at any particular time. It wouldn’t be until one of them grew worried and found the remnants of the short battle that they would start looking for him. By then, it would probably be too late.

At the familiar sound of a portal opening, Strange turned to face it. Through it stepped Mordo and two of his disciples, the same ones from the day before. One of them carried with him a relic. One that Stephen recognized. Upon seeing it, his blood ran cold. It was the Arrow of Cupid, and it had the power to enslave a person in love's thralldom to another. He instinctively stepped backwards until his back came up against the wall of his prison and he could retreat no more. “Mordo…”

“Silence, Strange.” The heretic approached Stephen. “You are far too valuable to kill. I have found a different solution to our problem.” He beckoned for the relic. It provided the ideal solution. To simply do away with his friend would have devastated him. He cared for the Sorcerer Supreme deeply. More than he should. Using the arrow would allow him to keep him by his side, free of their old master's corruption.

“Kill me instead. I would rather that than be a slave to that thing,” Strange said, nodding towards the relic.

“Oh, Stephen. Death is so permanent. This is better.” Activating the Arrow of Cupid, he stepped forward. A glowing copy of the arrow rose above the original. The copy shot out and lodged itself in Stephen's heart, glowing tendrils of energy snaking out from it and coursing through his body.

The Sorcerer Supreme sank to his knees as the arrow’s spell took over. He could feel it binding him to Mordo with chains of false love and devotion. He looked up at the heretic and knew that he was lost. Inside, he screamed his despair while outside, he wore an expression of pure adoration.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fic gets darker here. Trigger warning for non-con. Head the tags.

Mordo crouched down before Stephen, looking him in his eyes. What he saw there warmed him. All the negative tension that had built up between them over the years was completely gone. In its place was something he had longed to see since they had first met. It was an elegant solution to the problem of Stephen Strange.

Reaching out, the heretic cupped Strange's cheek, his fingers stroking the Sorcerer Supreme's goatee. Stephen leaned into it, bringing a smile to Mordo’s face. “Ah, Strange. You will stand by my side. You will be a warrior against those who would subvert the natural order of things.” Mordo didn’t see the irony in his words, but that part of Stephen that was himself laughed bitterly inside.

Strange turned his face into Mordo's hand and kissed the palm. “I will do all you ask and more, my beloved. I will not let you down.” Inside, his stomach churned. He wanted to draw back from this intimacy, an intimacy that would have been welcomed once, long ago. Now all he felt was repulsion at his actions.

“You may go,” the heretic ordered his disciples. “Strange and I have much to talk about.” The two men hesitated. “Go!” At his barked order, they left through a portal, leaving Mordo and Stephen alone.

The heretic glanced away from Strange's eyes down to the Eye of Agamotto. “Do you yet wield the Eye, risking the very fabric of the universe?” he asked, his tone harsh.

Stephen wilted under his hard stare. “I have used it, long ago, but I have come to understand the risks. I seek only to protect it now, not to wield it.”

Mordo nodded, a faint smile of approval dancing across his lips. “It seems you were not a hopeless case, even before now. You managed to learn something on your own. Still, you were a danger to yourself and others. I will teach you as you should have been taught from the beginning.”

Tears sprung to Stephen’s eyes. He found himself saying, “Thank you,” even as he railed against the sentiment.

Strange surged forward and placed a kiss on Mordo's lips. The heretic responded immediately by bringing his hands up and cupping the Sorcerer Supreme’s face. He deepened the kiss, licking into Stephen’s mouth and groaning. Pulling back, he rested their foreheads together. “By the Vishanti, Strange. You have no idea how much I want you. How much I want this.” Mordo pressed their lips together again, driving Stephen backwards with his ferocity.

Strange fought with all he had to stop the progression of events, but he couldn’t. He found himself working Mordo’s clothes off of him as he kissed and nipped at the other man's bottom lip. He couldn’t stop himself, not even with thoughts of Tony. _Oh, Tony._ This was such a betrayal of their love. How would he ever live with himself?

Mordo managed to remove Stephen’s robes with little trouble. He hovered over him, drinking in the sight of his body. “I’ve dreamt of this for so long. Tell me you want this as much as I do.”

Strange found himself saying, “Yes. I need you. Now,” even though he was screaming _No_ inside.

His answer was good enough for the heretic who lowered his body onto Stephen's bringing their cocks into alignment. The moment that happened, all coherent thought fled Strange's mind. He was consumed by lust for the man he was enslaved to. He shifted his hips, seeking friction and groaned as their cocks rubbed together.

Mordo grasped the Sorcerer Supreme’s wrists and pinned them over his head, mindful not to hurt his hands, then he began rocking against him. Their cocks slid together, the friction rough and almost overwhelming. “Ah, Strange. Look at you. Stretched out beneath me. You are mine. Together we can do anything. Beautiful. Beautiful.”

Stephen spread his legs and wrapped them around his captor. “Yes. Please. I need… Please, more,” he begged, lost to sensation and the relic's spell.

Mordo’s face split into a wide grin as he shifted. He sat back, spreading Stephen’s legs, and made a gesture, magically preparing his fellow sorcerer's entrance. Strange groaned at the warm exquisite feeling of being so pleasantly opened.

“Yes, please. Need you,” the words rolled off Stephen's tongue. They would come back to haunt him later. For now, he had no idea what he was saying. He was a mindless creature chasing release with his master.

The heretic lined himself up with Strange's entrance and slid home with one easy thrust. He pounded into Stephen repeatedly, taking that which he had so long desired, that which he had so long been denied. It felt like heaven being buried in Stephen's tight heat. He couldn’t control himself as he mindlessly chased his release.

The Sorcerer Supreme cried out his physical pleasure and met each thrust with a shift of his hips. He was close to orgasm and felt like he would explode. When Mordo grasped his cock and stroked it, he tipped over the edge into physical ecstasy and came, clamping down on his master’s cock and pulling him over the edge with him.

A few more thrusts, and they were done. Mordo collapsed next to Strange, panting heavily. He rolled onto his side and gazed at Stephen, before pulling him to himself like a true lover would and ‘cuddled’ him.

For his part, as Strange’s mind cleared, horror overtook him. If he could have cried, he would have, but the relic's spell prevented it. He didn’t know if he could ever face Tony again, not after what had just happened. Not after he had actively participated in… _No! He couldn’t face it. He couldn’t think about it. He couldn’t make himself stop thinking about it._


	3. Chapter 3

Tony couldn’t wait any longer. He had been as patient as he could. After all, Stephen was a grown man. They both carried heavy burdens that required them to face danger on a regular basis. They had long since come to terms with that fact and gave one another space to do their jobs. But this time… This time his lover had been gone far too long and he intended to do something about it. Just what he could do, he didn’t know.

He pushed on the door to the New York Sanctum which opened readily, welcoming him as a friend. Just inside, he found Wong standing in the center of a ring of disaster. There were broken boards and other detritus spread around the room. Without pause, he strode up to the sorcerer and grasped him by the arm. “Where’s Stephen?” he asked, his heart in his throat.

The look Wong gave the genius was enough to make him go weak in the knees. “Tell me he's not…”

“Dead? I don’t think so.” The normally stoic sorcerer looked pale, disturbed. The scene held sickening magical overtones that were left over from the skirmish that had occurred there.

“You. Don’t. Think. So. That’s not good enough!” Tony shouted. He turned around, surveying the scene, hoping desperately to find a clue that Strange was alive.

Wong worked a spell that made areas amongst the destruction light up. He breathed a sigh of relief. “No one died here. I can tell from the residual magical energies. However, a portal was opened.” He frowned. The magic signature left behind was familiar. It took him only a couple of heartbeats before he muttered, “Mordo.”

“What’s that?” Stark asked immediately.

“Not what. Who.” The sorcerer allowed his spell to fade. “He was once a student of Kamar-Taj, just as Stephen was. He was a Master of the Mystic Arts. He was the reason the Ancient One agreed to teach Stephen. He befriended him, taught him. They were inseparable.”

“If they are friends, how does that explain this?” Tony asked, frustrated. It didn’t make sense.

Wong gave the genius a hard look. “They were friends, Stark. You’re supposed to be intelligent. Stop just reacting and actually listen to what I am saying.” He paused to make sure Tony got the point. When it was clear he had, the sorcerer continued. “Mordo became disillusioned with the teachings of the Ancient One. He believed her teachings and practices to go against the natural order of things. He eventually fled the Mystic Order and became a heretic. He travels the world and… eliminates people he considers to be a threat to his so-called natural order.” He fell silent, looking grim.

Tony started pacing the room, stepping around the debris. “And he's come after Stephen. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. What do we do? We can’t just let him kill Stephen.”

“I don’t think killing him is his goal. Mordo would want to convert Strange. I am more concerned with what he will do to try to achieve that.”

Stark suddenly felt ill. “You mean torture.” He closed his eyes, memories of his time at the hands of the Ten Rings coming back to him. “No. We can’t let that happen. Not to Stephen. We have to find him first.”

“We will try. Unfortunately, the portal was opened too long ago for me to discern its destination.” Before Tony could react, he continued. “But I have an idea that should work.”

“Then get on with it!” The genius was impatient. They had to get to Strange now!

“I’ll need you to calm down,” the sorcerer chided. “My idea will involve you and will only work if you can achieve a meditative state. Come. This is no place for spell work. Let’s move to the parlor.”

In the parlor, they sat in chairs opposite one another. Wong appeared completely relaxed. Tony, considerably less so. He was full of adrenaline with no outlet fir his excessive energy.

“Try to clear your mind of everything but your thoughts of Strange,” Wong ordered. “We’re going to try to find him by using the connection you share.

Stark snorted. He didn’t know about a connection, but thinking about his lover wouldn’t be difficult. Not at all. He was consumed by thoughts of him. Nothing else could fit in his prodigious mind.

Soon, Wong cast a spell. Tendrils of orange sparks radiated out from his hands and moved towards Tony. They enveloped him, tying the two men together.

The genius felt warmth seep into his body. It wasn't entirely unpleasant at first, but then he felt the tendrils probing at his mind. He instinctively fought back.

“No, relax,” Wong said in a quiet tone. “Meditative, remember, or this won’t work.”

Tony didn’t entirely understand what the sorcerer meant, but he tried to stop fighting and let the tendrils into his thoughts. They wove their way through his mind, probing at his memories of Stephen.

After what seemed like an eternity, the golden sparks retreated and formed a ball in the middle of the room. The ball writhed and shifted form before it exploded in a spray of sparks, leaving stunned silence in its wake.

“Is that what it was supposed to do?” Tony asked, shaken.

“No. It should have sent out a line to Strange's location.”

“Then he is dead,” Tony said, sounding hollow.

“No. If he were dead, the sparks would have turned black and faded. He must be hidden behind powerful wards. Very powerful.”

“Then we find him another way.” Tony stood. Magic had failed them. It was time for him to do what he did best. It was time for Iron Man.


	4. Chapter 4

Mordo knew his disciples, Adria and Demonicus, would want to see his control over Stephen. To that end, he opened a portal into his chambers. There he led Strange to the bathroom and washed him, then he prepared both himself and Stephen meticulously to meet the others. He couldn’t resist the odd kiss that the Sorcerer Supreme bestowed upon him, nor could he resist luxuriating in the loving touches.

Stephen hated the entire process. The sex had been hideous, but the way Mordo ‘cared' for him was almost worse. Even worse than that, though, were the things he initiated himself. He wanted to scream, to shove his one-time friend away and run, run, run, never looking back.

The heretic stood, hands on Strange's shoulders, looking him over. “You look a prince among sorcerer's.” He pressed their lips together, mistaking Stephen's shudder of horror for a shiver of pleasure. “Come. It is time to officially meet the others and prove to them your dedication to me.

Strange followed Mordo obediently into the common room where a man and woman sat. They stood upon his and Mordo's entrance. The woman had a haughty appearance but took no action. The man look determined and immediately launched an attack upon Stephen's mind. Mordo crossed his arms and waited, unalarmed. When the man broke off his attack, Mordo simply asked, “What did you see, Demonicus?”

The disciple pulled his gaze away from Strange. “There’s an inner core that is untouched by the Arrow, but it is helpless. He will do your will.”

“That's well and good for you to say,” Adria said with a sniff. “I prefer proof I can see. Give him a test. I want to see him in action.”

“So you will,” Mordo said, placing a hand on Stephen's jaw. He stroked Strange's beard with his thumb. “I have located a relic. You will help me retrieve it, won’t you, beloved?”

Stephen turned his head and kissed the palm of the heretic's hand. “Of course, I will. I'll do anything you ask.” He screamed inside. He couldn’t allow another relic to fall into Mordo's hands, let alone assist him in obtaining another. He reflected that it would have been better had his self been entirely obliterated than existing in this helpless state.

Even as the Sorcerer Supreme tried unsuccessfully to pull away from him, Mordo explained the nature of the relic they were to retrieve. “The relic is the Box of Keeping. As its name suggests, it can be used to hold items. Many, many items. It is said to contain ancient spell books the nature of which are forbidden. We will retrieve the box and keep the books from those who would use them to alter the natural order.”

Stephen saw the glint of power hunger in Adria's eyes and wondered how Mordo couldn’t see it. He tried to warn him, but the heretic was already speaking again.

“The box is in the hands of a woman who comes from a line of self-taught sorcerers. Her abilities are formidable, nonetheless. Strange, it will be your job to contain her. Adria, Demonicus, back him up. I will locate the box.” Upon getting nods of agreement, he took out his sling ring and opened a portal outside their targets home.

Mordo blasted through her home's protective spells and tore the door asunder. He gestured for Stephen to lead the group inside.

Fighting against the Arrow's compulsion the entire time, Strange entered the house. He had to immediately counter an attack from the petite woman who fought fiercely to protect herself and her home.

“Who are you? Why are you here?” she demanded.

Without answering, the Sorcerer Supreme attacked, pushing her back. There was nothing left for Adria or Demonicus to do, so fierce was his attack. On the inside, Stephen wept for the woman who was little more than a child to his eyes. He tried with all his might to stop himself from conjuring the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak to bind her, but failed. She was helpless before them all.

Mordo, the Box of Keeping in hand, walked up behind Stephen. “Very good, beloved. Now finish her.”

Strange's hands started shaking violently as he turned to look at his master. “But she is helpless.”

With a growl, Mordo grasped Stephen by the arm. “You swore you would do anything I asked. Was that a lie?”

“No. It wasn't. I just…” The Sorcerer Supreme fell to his knees, hands outstretched towards the young woman. He saw the fear in her eyes and struggled like never before against the compulsion the Arrow had placed upon him. Searing pain shot through him at his resistance and he collapsed onto his side, screaming.

Mordo looked down at Stephen, disappointed. Without hesitating, he sent a blast in the woman's direction that snapped her neck in two.

With the removal of the cause of his inner conflict, the pain stopped and Strange lay on the floor, panting.

“Put him back in his prison,” the heretic ordered Demonicus. “It’s the only safe place for him.”

Just as Mordo started to open a portal for home, an unexpected portal opened. Both Wong and Iron Man stepped through, magic and blasters at the ready.

“Freeze, assholes,” Tony said, daring Mordo or his disciples to so much as twitch.

On the floor, Stephen smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

Stephen's smile didn’t last ling. The Arrow's compulsion drove him to his feet. Before him, everyone had faced off: Wong against Adria and Demonicus, and Tony against Mordo. All he could pay attention to, though, were the latter pair.

The burning need to protect Mordo with his very life drove him forward a few steps, his hands coming up before him, ready to cast a spell against his lover. He fought against that need, and at the last moment, redirected his magical blast at the heretic.

The blast caught Mordo off guard and threw him against the far wall. At the same time, Strange collapsed to the floor in agony as the compulsion sought to reassert its control.

Tony struck with his blasters, Mordo getting shields up just in time to deflect them. At the same time, Wong struck against Adria and Demonicus. A fierce, but short-lived battle ensued, ending with Mordo opening a portal through which he and the others escaped.

Stephen found himself crawling towards the closing portal, intent on following his master. With a tremendous wrenching feeling, he broke free of the Arrow’s influence. Panting, he watched the portal close before him. “No!” he cried out, lurching to his feet. Mordo and the others couldn't be allowed to escape.

Unsteadily, he opened a portal and stumbled to his feet, following the heretic and his disciples back to their base of operations.

“Damn it!” Tony shouted, following him with Wong on his heels. He fired another blast over Strange’s shoulder, barely missing Mordo as the heretic grasped the Arrow of Cupid and fled through yet another portal. Both disciples followed, grabbing whatever relic lay to hand before fleeing.

The genius ran towards the closing portal, firing as he went. He only stopped when he saw a parting blast of magic come through the portal and knock Stephen to the floor. The portal shut, leaving only him, Wong and the collapsed Strange behind.

Tony swore and ran to Stephen’s side. “Go after them!” he shouted at Wong.

In a rare show of emotion, the sorcerer glared where the portal had closed. “I can’t. I don’t know where they went and I can’t lock in on their magical signatures. I’m not familiar enough with them.” He crouched down on Strange's opposite side.

Stephen's eyes blinked open to see both men leaning over him. “I’m fine,” he muttered. It only took him a moment to realize the others had got away. He was too drained to feel anything but disappointed. Anger at himself would come later. Sitting up, he covered his face with shaking hands. He simply couldn’t think. “How did you find me?” he asked, his voice slurring with effort. He was so tired. Fighting the compulsion had drained him.

“There are still things you have yet to learn,” Wong said dryly.

“I had JARVIS scan for unusual activities around the globe,” Tony explained. “One something turned up, I aimed Wong at it. He verified your magical signature and used it to portal us to your location.”

“Mm,” Strange hummed. He wouldn’t have thought of it, but it had worked.

A banging sound started up, drawing their attention to a nearby door. Tony stood and approached it warily, blaster held out before him. When he opened the door, a flash of red swept by him as the Cloak of Levitation flew to Stephen's shoulders. There, it wrapped around him, hugging him.

The Sorcerer Supreme let his eyes fall shut. He hadn’t let himself worry about the Cloak, but now that it was back, he felt a huge sense of relief. “I’m glad to see you, too,” he told it.

Strange suddenly wanted nothing more than to go home, but the site needed to be secured. There could be other relics that had been left behind. He got to his feet shakily, intending to start a search.

Stark and Wong exchanged worried glances. “I’ll search here,” Wong offered. “Stephen, you need rest. I don’t know what happened, but you look like hell.”

“The Arrow of Cupid happened,” Stephen told his friend, not meeting his eyes. He hoped his fellow sorcerer wouldn’t ask too many questions. He wasn't ready to answer them.

“What’s that?” Tony asked, worried.

“A kind of compulsion,” Stephen said before Wong could offer any details. “It’s okay, now. I broke free.”

“That shouldn’t have been possible,” Wong said, amazed that his friend had managed such a feat. He wanted to tell Tony more. He wanted to tell him the nature of the Arrow's compulsion, but a sharp look from Stephen caused him to hold his tongue.

Tony didn’t like the sound of anything he had just heard, but decided to wait until later to press for answers. “Right. Home.” 

The Sorcerer Supreme opened a portal which proved to be too much. His eyes rolled back in his head. The Cloak caught him, keeping him from falling. It was a wonder he had lasted so long, all things considered.

“Fuck!” the genius took Stephen in his arms protectively. The portal had collapsed along with the sorcerer. “Wong, I’m taking him home.”

Wong opened a portal and watched as Tony disappeared with Strange in his arms. He was worried for his friend. The Arrow was a powerful relic. It must have nearly drained him to break free of its power. That, and there had been something haunted in his friend's eyes, something dark and terrible.


	6. Chapter 6

Tony put Stephen on the bed in his bedroom in the Sanctum. His lover looked so very pale and fragile. He had never thought of Strange in that way before. He lay down beside him and wrapped his arm around him. “I’ve got you, babe. Come on, wake up.”

It was several long minutes before Stephen's eyes opened. When they did, he looked around, dazed, until his eyes fell on Stark’s worried expression. He reached up and cupped Tony’s cheek. “I’m fine,” he reassured him.

The genius shook his head. “The last time you said that, you passed out within minutes. Excuse me if I have my doubts.”

“I really am fine.” Strange moved closer into Tony’s embrace, placing his head on his shoulder. “I just need this. Please.” He needed the closeness and comfort Stark could offer.

The genius had his doubts. “Okay. If you say so, Merlin.” He kissed the top of Stephen's head. “Whatever you need.”

Those words had been spoken between them so many times during sex, that their very invocation brought about Stephen's arousal. He should be tired… was tired… was exhausted, but he wanted, oh how he wanted. He shifted and brought their mouths together in a hungry kiss.

Tony, surprised, was a moment in responding, but when he did, it was with enthusiasm. He had been so afraid for his lover. He needed this connection. It was an affirmation of life as old as humanity itself.

Things moved swiftly. Soon, Strange was astride the genius, riding him. Tony watched, mesmerized, as Stephen threw his head back in ecstasy. The sorcerer made a beautiful sight with muscles straining and sweat glistening on his torso. “Fuck, Steph, but you’re gorgeous.”

Stephen looked down at his lover, his eyes filled with love and a burning need. He didn't answer, but let out a long moan. This was what he required: Tony’s hands, his lips, his cock touching and cleansing him. With this, he could wash away the actions of Mordo. Part of him knew it wasn’t that simple, but he didn't care. This was glorious.

Tony fucked up into Strange as the sorcerer pushed down on him over and over. It was as though Stephen couldn't get enough. It was hot as hell. He held him by the hips and guided each fall onto his cock, the speed intensifying.

“Yes!” Stephen called out, coming. He spurted over Tony’s chest, making a glorious mess, then he collapsed onto him. He held on as the genius fucked him, feeling sated… and safe. Even in his post-orgasmic haze, he knew if he cried out for Tony to stop, he would. He didn't need him to. He wanted to be filled by Stark’s release.

The sorcerer soon got his wish as Tony came inside him. “Jesus. Fuck. God, Steph, you feel so good. So good.” Stark cupped Stephen's face and kissed him all over before hugging him to his chest. “I don’t know what I would have done if I had lost you.”

“You didn’t lose me,” Strange rumbled. Sleep threatened to take him despite not wanting to give in to it. He had already been spent beyond reckoning. Their lovemaking, while enjoyable, had done nothing to restore his reserves. Soon, his eyes fell shut and he drifted off to a thankfully dreamless sleep.

Tony held him for hours simply because he could. He was so grateful to have him back. He had questions, of course he did. When Stephen woke, he would ask them. For the moment, however, he was somewhat content. His anger towards Mordo and the others kept it from being complete.

Stark didn’t know what the Arrow of Cupid was, but he didn’t like the sound of it – not with the way Wong had reacted. He especially didn’t like the idea of Stephen being compelled to do anything against his will. Mordo had a lot to answer for. He wanted to be the one to make him do it.

“Stop. You're thinking too loud,” Strange said, surprising the genius.

“I thought you were asleep.”

“I was.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.” He realized he was holding the sorcerer in an iron grip and released him.

“It’s fine. I should probably check in with Wong anyway.”

Strange started to climb from the bed, but the genius stopped him with a hand to his arm. “Wait. Tell me what happened. Please.”

“Not now. Later. With Wong.” He pulled away. “I don’t want to tell the story twice.” There were parts he didn’t intend to tell at all. Tony and Wong didn’t need to know everything. It would only upset them.

Stephen knew what had happened with Mordo had traumatized him. He wasn’t an idiot. He could deal with it on his own. He knew there would be nightmares, but his dreams were already full of those. What was one more in the greater context?

“Alright,” Tony agreed, completely unsatisfied. Echoing his words from earlier, he said, “Whatever you need.”


	7. Chapter 7

Stephen managed to avoid questions from both Wong and Tony for most of the day. It wasn’t until late that night when they all sat in the library of the Sanctum that he could avoid it no longer.

Strange gazed into the flickering fire as he explained what had happened to him during his absence. He carefully did not look at his lover as he explained what the Arrow of Cupid was and how it worked. Just remembering how eager to please part of him had been made his stomach turn. He couldn’t think about the rest now.

“Stephen, babe,” the genius called to him. “Are you okay?”

Strange nodded. “Yes, why?”

“You stopped talking.” Tony reached for and took Stephen's hand. “If you’re worried that I’ll blame you for being forced to feel something that wasn’t real, I don’t. I’m not that big a dick. You shouldn’t either.” He smiled at him reassuringly.

“Come here.” Stephen pulled Tony into his lap. “I don’t blame myself.” It was Mordo who received that sentiment. He did feel oddly vulnerable: a feeling he hated. He held onto the genius tighter.

“What if he uses it again?” Wong asked.

“On me?” The Sorcerer Supreme shook his head. “I know how to break free from it now. It would be pointless.” Still, he shuddered at the though.

“He could still use it on others,” Wong said. “We have to recover it.”

“He won’t,” Stephen said with conviction.

Wong objected, “You can’t know that.”

“I do!” Strange shifted agitatedly, causing Tony to stand, and stood as well. “For once, it was all about me. He's obsessed! He didn’t just want to control me. He wanted…” Stephen snapped his mouth shut and stormed from the room, leaving the others to stare in his wake.

* * *

Once in his bedroom, Stephen slammed the door shut. He had thought he could answer their questions, but doing so had been too much. He couldn’t understand why.

After a few moments, there came a knock at the door followed by Tony entering. He had his hands shoved in his pockets. “You know, shit things happen and they tend to happen to us a lot.”

“This shouldn't be any different,” the sorcerer complained. “I’ve died countless times. That should eclipse everything that could ever happen to me.”

“Bullshit. You chose to go through that to save the world. You didn’t have a choice. It makes a difference.” The genius stepped up close to Stephen and started to reach out to him, but stopped himself, unsure.

“Don’t do that.” The sorcerer took Tony’s hand. “I can’t stand it if you do. “I need you to touch me.” His pupils blew wide. “I need you now.”

Stark was confused. “But…”

“I still desire you. And I want you to erase his touch from my body. You already made a good start of that before. Show me you want me.”

“I’ll always want you, Stephen Strange.” Tony stepped up and tipped his head back, meeting Strange for a kiss. It grew heated quickly, and all thoughts of their discussion were forgotten.

The genius walked them back towards Stephen's bed until they fell on it in a jumble of limbs. As they hit the mattress, their clothes disappeared, leaving them in a skin-to-skin embrace.

Stephen worked another spell, prepping himself. “I need you inside me now. I'm ready.”

“Next time, I get to prep you,” Tony said into the sorcerer's ear. “I enjoy it.”

“Fine, but get inside me. Now.” Strange wrapped his legs around the genius, pulling him close.

“Bossy.” Stark lined himself up and pushed into Stephen. “Is that good?”

“It's perfect,” the sorcerer purred. His eyes fell closed and his face took on a look of bliss. He felt safe and loved. Tony's arms went around him and he moaned in satisfaction.

Stark set a slow pace, fucking into Stephen lovingly. It wasn’t what Strange had thought he wanted, but he had been wrong. It was exactly what he needed.

Tony kissed Stephen, long and languorously. He nuzzled into the sorcerer's neck before placing kisses there and along his collarbone. Everywhere he could reach, Stark left a trail of kisses, never faltering in the slow and steady pace he had set.

Stephen luxuriated in the attention he was receiving. Everything felt incredible. The love he felt with each kiss, each thrust, filled him to bursting. “Don’t stop, Tony.”

“Never,” Stark agreed. Still, need drove them. The genius picked up speed, stroking over Stephen's prostate with each stroke.

The sorcerer clawed at Tony’s back as he scrabbled for purchase. “Yes, Tony! More!”

Tony reached between them and started stroking Stephen’s cock. Soon, the sorcerer came, splashing come over both of them, before going relaxed and pliant. Stark kept fucking into him, chasing his own orgasm. When it finally got came, he shuddered and filled the sorcerer with his load. He collapsed beside Stephen who lazily used a spell to clean them. They snuggled together, eventually falling asleep.

Things were far from perfect. There would still be nightmares and Mordo and his disciples were still a threat to be reckoned with, but Stephen was not broken. He would be alright. With Tony and Wong by his side, he would be more than alright. He would be incandescent.

**Author's Note:**

> I read and treasure every single comment I receive, but I'm totally crap at responding to them. Please know that they fuel me. Thank you in advance.
> 
> If you want to podfic or translate this or create a drawing based on it, go for it. Just please let me know and link back to my fic.
> 
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> 
> Find out how my muse is doing at [My Other Tumblr](http://writingformymuse.tumblr.com).


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